Practical ideas for two destructive little boys?

[mommychem]

I can hardly keep up with my almost two year old DS. He is non-stop. But he has big energy. So he likes to push the vacuum, the broom, the shovel. He helps load the washer and dryer (not without trying to climb in the dryer of course ). He climbs our indoor picnic bench flipping the lights on and off. He stands in the stool in the bathroom and rinses his hands under the water. He dumps out unattended bottles of water.

They play outside but only for a while because it's just.so.hot and humid. Oh and the mosquitoes!!

Sorry, I don't mean to derail.

[Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by mamacat

Jut thought of you when saw mop in laundry room Idea of you cant ride the broom around but you CAN ride/wave this - give pool noodles or some other softer thing

I was just coming here to suggest pool noodles as substitutes! As long as your toddler won't take bites out of it.

[Beth1231]

I hosed off our 4ft plastic slide and hauled it into the house. I'm tired of C vaulting off the furniture. When we move,I'll reevaluate.

[Amythestmama]

Big cardboard boxes. Markers can write in boxes, boys can tear or smash boxes. If you're ok with learning to use knives, boxes are fun to cut. (I know knives aren't for everyone though.)

[Chaos Coordinator]

Everything that you care about needs to go under lockdown. After that, you just learn to care about "things" a lot less. KonMari the house when you move? My kids are destructo machines. Your experience re: gender has been exactly mine after working in childcare and having three boys. My middle son is more gentle than my oldest, by nature, but turning 4 has made him into a challenge-driven madman


I'm serious though. I sold all our DVDs and video games (who has time to enjoy them anyway with three hurricanes swirling around the house?) use spaghetti sauce jars instead of vases, wooden toys that don't shatter like plastic (and yes that means fewer toys) yes both our vehicles have the marks of parenthood on them. This summer I lived in $3 tank tops because most of them were ruined after 2-3 wears due to kid abuse.

We did buy new furniture and appliances earlier this year but trust me when I tell you, we police the kids around it and are very strict in how some rules are enforced.


Other than that, it's all "go act like that outside" and "I'm gonna drink some more coffee"

---------- Post added at 06:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:30 PM ----------

Also be the calm in the storm. Give them a rhythm. Recite poetry at lunchtime. Sing verses at transition. Tell enchanting stories. Be predictable and rhythmic, like a heartbeat. It helps hold them down in a way im having trouble describing amidst the clamor in my house right now.

[MrsDuck]

A couple of people have mentioned the chin up bars, but there is also an indoor swing set that sets up with a pull up bar that. It all comes together as a set. It's not cheap, but less than the cost of replacing valuables, and for us swinging especially seems to help so very much. It also has a ladder, and handles and a rope to climb. We are in a small house, too, and the two boys drive this poor mama batty with how much physical energy they have. We got this last December and if helps so much in the wet months.

https://gorilla-gym.com/product/kids...FUdffgodEvkH5g

[knitlove]

That gorilla gym looks great! I have two girls but they have cray amount of energy. Last winter I put a trampoline in the middle of the living room ( it made it so hard to get trough to the kitchen) it saved my sanity. Dh didn't quite get why I wanted it but he is never home all day.

[Johns_Gal]

We made light sabers out of pool noodles.

They are just noodles cut in half, duct tape handles and electrical tape "buttons". Do not use in a room with electronics, framed photos, etc. Or pets.

Otherwise? Have at.

My first kid was, in relation to his sister, pretty chill. Now I have a small crazy person. Yesterday at. The park I told her to slide to me. She was like "okay, trust fall!" And threw herself down face first. She just popped up grinning "again!".

[ThreeKids]

I had mine playing Minecraft in an early Beta at five years old. That way, he'd destroy fake things. His creativity in destroying is amazing.

At first, he dug straight down to bedrock over and over. Soon after, just barely into having ever played on a computer, he dammed off a valley and flooded it. He's learned about circuitry in order to destroy more now that Minecraft has redstone.

The other day, he asked me how tsunamis form. I told him the ocean floor moves vertically. The next thing I know, he's formed one in Minecraft. He'd rigged an ocean floor with pistons and the Minecraft physics responded correctly!

I think destruction makes boys feel more powerful. It takes a long time to build. Destruction changes the world so much more quickly.

[Beth1231]

Originally Posted by ThreeKids

I had mine playing Minecraft in an early Beta at five years old. That way, he'd destroy fake things. His creativity in destroying is amazing.

At first, he dug straight down to bedrock over and over. Soon after, just barely into having ever played on a computer, he dammed off a valley and flooded it. He's learned about circuitry in order to destroy more now that Minecraft has redstone.

The other day, he asked me how tsunamis form. I told him the ocean floor moves vertically. The next thing I know, he's formed one in Minecraft. He'd rigged an ocean floor with pistons and the Minecraft physics responded correctly!

I think destruction makes boys feel more powerful. It takes a long time to build. Destruction changes the world so much more quickly.

Hmm.Maybe I should look into this Minecraft thing. Your last paragraph,eerily enough,made me think of how most world leaders are male.
Joy,I love what you said about being the calm in the storm,the rhythmic heartbeat that holds them secure.
The Gorilla Gym looks amazing! I have a toddler swing in my kitchen and it's super helpful,but we aren't going to put those holes from the screws in our new home. But the Gorilla Gym....I am going to ask Hubby!
AFYER we move,I can let them destroy boxes to their hearts content. Ooh,maybe make a box maze!

[zeo2ski]

Can you give them an area at the new house where they're allowed to dig? Dirt, trucks, sticks, and a hose are endless entertainment around here.

Definitely just get rid of the nice stuff. They're going to jump on the furniture, period. It is their home and it's GOOD that they feel they can use any of the available contents. Anything you think they will ruin needs to not be accessible for a few more years. Basically, part of the grace you're trying to incorporate into your parenting needs to include the arena of STUFF. It belongs to the kids too, but adjust your expectations down to the reality of destruction that is just a natural part of raising humans at this stage. The people who keep nice stuff nice while their kids are little? Well some kids are naturally mellow and careful, but I'd guess the majority are using other discipline methods to accomplish that.

(Purposely destroying for malicious reasons is something else entirely, but the examples you gave are not that.)

[MariJo7]

Originally Posted by zeo2ski

The people who keep nice stuff nice while their kids are little? Well some kids are naturally mellow and careful, but I'd guess the majority are using other discipline methods to accomplish that.

Indeed . When my kids were little I used to put high up those things I did not want my kids to destroy. I got all kind of remarks and comments from my punitive church members. And when I visited their homes, it was quite stressful...
My kids were not especially destructive, but they were kids. And they loved to jump on the couch. I told them that was allowed at home .

Now the kids are grown up, but we still have no nice furniture . Now we have two dogs...

But I guess it is better to have happy, living creatures around than nice, but dead stuff.

[Beth1231]

My four year old hauled dead branches out from under our tree yesterday and I thought of this thread. He was thrilled to lug around wood and make it into a pile just for the joy of it.
I also had both my boys help me drag the trash to the road yesterday morning. We couldn't do that before near a busy road,but now it's. A quiet,country lane. They loved the heave ho big muscle work. I'm trying to remember to ask them to move,push,haul whatever they can manage as we unpack.